OBJECTIVES: Over the years, HTA agencies have grown rapidly, worldwide. One of the major factor for this substantial progress is the increasing healthcare costs. In the late 1990s, HTAs begin to have a footfall in the APAC region. Since then, continuous efforts have been made to achieve the best value for money while safeguarding the accessibility and affordability of care, at the same time. This study aims to examine the evolution and implementation of HTA in the key APAC markets, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and China.

METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted, focusing on HTA practices in the selected APAC countries. It comprised of HTA analysis of policies and guidelines, supplemented by secondary research of published studies on HTA implementation.

RESULTS: Countries across the APAC region, have significant variability in their HTA processes and methodologies adopted. With South Korea being the first country to formally introduce HTA, Japan highlighted the importance of incorporating cost-effectiveness analysis in informing healthcare decisions. Both these countries have established HTA bodies with robust frameworks. In contrast, implementation of HTA in China is still in progress with growing efforts on building and integrating HTA processes into the healthcare system. Further, in Singapore, HTA aids in making subsidy-based decisions and framing healthcare policies. Moreover, HTA in Taiwan supports evidence-based decisions for National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement.

Besides, these countries face common challenges in streamlining HTA processes. Some of them include lack of skilled workforce, less credible and objective assessment, poor capabilities for evaluating advanced technologies, and variability in HTA infrastructure.

CONCLUSIONS: The role of HTAs in APAC is significantly evolving but still has its barriers to combat. Future measures like fostering collaborations with HTA experts, boosting awareness, and synchronizing HTA infrastructure and capabilities, might help in institutionalizing the HTA programs within these regions.